Foot impression device



APril 1935. w. P. KOPPE FOOT IMPRESSION DEVICE Filed April 2, 1934 J 5\J I 1612 7 x70? Ewe/76 WI )Q Patented Apr. 2, 1935 room nvrrit'nssIoNpri'vroE f William P. Koppe', Chicago, 111., assignbr to The Scholl Mfg.Co.,- Inc., Chi i tionof New York cago, 111., a' corpora- "ApplicationApril}, 1934, Serial No. 715,671

7 V 11 claims.- My invention relates to foot impressiondevices and isconcerned more particularly with providing a unitaryand easilytransportable apparatus for the taking of foot impressions in order toinformation respecting the configuration foot as well as its size.

In the fitting of footwear, the selection propershoe for anyparticularperson should be based upon accurate information respecti foot'and thisknowledge should not only. include the ordinary data on the length andwidth of the foot, but also precise information regarding anyabnormalities thereof, such as may beproduced by fallen arches, enlarged.joints, callouses, and like ailments. Shoe measuring sticks are nowcommonly employed for determining foot 7 and lengths, and there are alsoother devices-for taking impressions of the foot by pressing thelatteragainst an ink-carrying memberwhith in turn contacts a sheetofpaper, so that a shoe 13c:

tailer," for example, can; properly fit shoew ear. A

device of-the latter typeis illustrated in United States Letters Patentto Rosino No. 1,225,500,

dated May 18, 1917, and the present invention relates to a device of thesame character but em,-

bodies several improvements thereover.

One object of my invention is to provide a rel -'1 atively thin, compactfoot impression device which is adapted for easy handling andtransporation.

A further objectis to provide a device character indicated in which theink-carrying member is fixed at its opposite ends and directly over theimpression-receiving paper, thereby obviating the'necessity for aspring-retracted roller on which the member is wound and also moving themember to impression-taking positi0n,both of these features beingcharacteristic of the prior art.

. A, further object is to provide a deviceiin paper is either.exposed'for observation, convenient removal. from the drawer. A furtherobject is toprovidea device'in the inking roll is carriedby the drawerand which is adapted to. apply ink to the ink-carrying memher by theinward and outward movements of the drawer. v

A further object is to so pos ition theinking roll relative to one fixed.end of the ink-carrying sheet that thelatter is substantially parallel,and relatively close, to the paper that receives-thedm- (o1. exc ipression when the drawer is in' impression-taking position therebyavoiding any necessity for applying considerable pressure in order tomake an 7 intelligible-mpression, since such action isfr'e 'quentlyobjectionable and also quite diflicult, particularlywheretheipersonihasweak feet or legs, or in the case of a'child. r p

. eseand,furtherobjects of my invention'will besetforth'in'thefollow'ing specification, reference being.- had to :theaccompanying drawing, and the novel means by which said objects areeffectuated-will be definitely pointed out in the claims. 7 v I r Inthedrawingi Figurelis a plan view of my improved device as it appearstothe ,user when a foot impression isbeing taken,v

Fig 2 is a section along the line-2+2 in'Fig. 1, lookingin thedirectionof the arrows. I

Fig. 3 isa section, similar to that shown in Fig. 2, but showing thedrawer in extended position for the purpose of, removing the papersheeton which the impression has been-made. a

Fig. 4 is a section alongthe line 4-4 in Fig. 2,

looking-in the direction of the arrows, and showing the; constructiondetails of the drawer.

; Fig. 5 isgm elevation, partly in section, of one Referring to thedrawing, the numeral 10 designates a box-likeframewhich comprises a base1 l 30 andatopql? which is -spaced from the bottom b m r nal w l lo s 3.wh x ound threesidesofthe frame and are eliminated on" the fourth sideto provide an opening vH1. The top I2 is provided with an. opening whichis preferably rectangular in outline and which exposes an ink-carryingmember, such as a rubber V apron 1B,, which extends across the openingbeneath the top I 2 and at one end is clamped tothe I I rear wall block13 by a strip 11 and at the opposite O endtothe underside of the top 12by a strip l8 Ajdrawer lli is slidablein the frame 10 through theQpeningdfi and-comprises a bottom and upstanding side walls-21 Asclearly shown in Fig f1, thebottom and walls are preferably integrally'formed'froma single metallic sheet. The

1 front end .of. the drawer 19 is closed by a block 22, to ,which aconvenient handle 23 may be attached for,operating the drawer, whileadjacent the opposite end of the drawer, an ink carrying roll 24 isbridgedbetween the sidewalls 2 1.

, Preferably, the roll 24 ,iscomposed of a hollow cylinder 25 .which isoverlaid by a suitable inkingsurface,;such as a silk covered feltpad26,, one example oi whichis disclosed :in the aforesaid secure of the ofth ng the widths of I the or for whi surface of the apron.

Rosino patent, and the cylinder may be provided with perforations 21 inorder to insure a proper and adequate flow of ink to the inking surface.The ends of the cylinder 25 are provided with pintles 28 that arerevolubly mounted in open ended slots 29 provided in the side walls 2 I,these slots preferably opening upwardly, as clearly shown in:'Pig. 2."One of the pintles '28 may be conveniently threaded as at 30 into thecylinder 25 in order to permit its ready removal whenever it becomesnecessary to replenish the ink supply in the cylinder. A pressure gunmay be employed for this purpose, or the ink container, such as acollapsible tube, may be attached directly by threading its end into thecylinder 25. r y

The apron l8 extends over the top of the inking roll 24 and is thendirected downwardly to pass beneath a guide roll 3| whose pintles are:

received within open ended slots 32 that are also provided in thesidewalls 2!. As shown in Fig. 2, these slots open'downwardly andithetension of therubber' apron I 5 -maintains the guide roll in the,indicated position.' It' will be particularly notedthat the relation 'ofthe roll 31 to the roll 24 is such that the apron I6 is caused tocontact with a very'appreciable' portion of the surface of the inkingroll in order to,insure that the latter will convey a working supply ofink to the under.

On the opposite side of the inking roll from the guide roll, there isprovided a distributing fin 33 which is'suitably supported on the bottomderside of the paper I6.

20 and extends upwardly to contact with the un- A pair of spaced stripsare'co'nveniently recessed in the bottom I I, below thedrawer i9, andeach of the strips is provided with a resilient tongue 35' which is bentupwardly out of the plane 7 of the associated strip. Each of thesetongues is intended to engage with an aperture 36 provided in the drawerbottomlo, when the drawer has been moved to the position shown in Fig.3, thereby limiting'the outward extending movement of the drawer.

In taking a foot impression; a suitable impression receiving member,such as a pad of paper 31, is rested on the bottom of the drawer, whenthe latter is in the extended position shown in Preferably, the insidemarginal dimensions of the drawer are such that they closely approximatethe marginal outline of the paper pad, so that one end of the'drawer,for example, may be conveniently employed as a heel stop. The papersheets are customarily lined or marked to in dicate foot sizes. 7

The drawer is then moved inwardly toward the position shown in Fig. 2,and this operation, due to the frictional contact between the apron l6and the inking surface of the roll 24', causes a rotation of the latterroll and consequently an application of ink to the under surface of theapron. The ink so applied is evenly distributed over the surface of theapron by the'fin 33. 'The foot is then pressed against the apron and thepressure'is continued until'the apron contacts with the pad 31, asindicatedby dotted'lines in Fig. 2. The impression so made will besomewhat shadowy in appearance and will thereby indicate paper on whichthe impression is made may be removed after shifting the drawer to theposition shown in Fig. 3.

The provision of spacing the apron just slightly above the upper surfaceof the pad 31 is one of the important features of this invention,because it substantially lessens the amount of pressure required toeffect an adequate impression, owing to the short distance through whichit is necessary to displace the apron. Accordingly, this device.is'highly useful for the taking of impressions of .persons with weakfeet or legs, or children, since slight pressures will still secureintelligible impressions.

, Aside from the foregoing advantage inherent in the device, the latteris characterized by compactness and an absence of any necessity foremploying the customary spring retracted roller over which the rubberapron has heretofore been wound. In addition, the drawer l9 provides avery convenient storage space for a number of sheets which comprise thepad 31 and these sheets may be allowed to remain in the drawer until theentire pad is exhausted.

I claim: v

1. A foot impression device comprising a frame, ink-carrying meansadapted to be pressed by a foot, and a member adapted to support a partfor receiving impressions and shiftable in the frame to a positionadjacent the ink means for taking impressions and to another positionexposing the part. r

2. A foot impression device comprising a frame, an ink-carrying memberadapted to be pressed by a foot, adrawer adapted to support a part forreceiving impressions and-shiftable in the frame to impression-takingand exposing positions, respectively, and inking means carried by thedrawer and adapted to apply ink to the member during the movement of thedrawer.

3. A foot impression device comprising a frame, an apron secured at itsopposite ends to the frame and adapted to be pressed by a foot, a draweradapted to support a part for receiving impressions and shiftable in theframe to impressiontaking and exposing positions, respectively, and aninking roller rotatably mounted in the drawer and adapted to apply inkto the apron during the movement of the drawer.

4. A foot impression device comprising a frame, an apron secured at itsopposite ends to the frame and adapted to be pressed by a foot, a draweradapted to support a part for receiving impressions and shiftable in theframe to impressiontaking and exposing positions, respectively, aninking roller rotatably 'mounted in the drawer and adapted to apply inkto the apron during the movement of the drawer, and a fin carried by thedrawer and contacting with the apron to substantially evenly distributethe appliedink.

5. A foot impression device comprising a frame, an apron secured at itsoposite ends to the frame and'adapted to be pressed by a foot, a draweradapted to support a part for receiving impressions and shiftable in theframe to impressiontaking and exposing positions, respectively, aninking roller rotatably mounted in the drawer and adapted to apply inkto the apron during the movement of the drawer, and a guide rollerpositioned relative to the inking roller to cause the apron to contactwith an appreciable portion of the inking roller surface. 7

6. A foot impression device comprising a frame, an apron secured at itsoposite ends to the frame and adapted to be pressed by a foot, 2. draweradapted to support a part for receiving impressions and shiftable in theframe to impressiontaking and exposing positions, respectively, aninking roller rotatably mounted in the drawer and adapted to apply inkto the apron during the movement of the drawer, and a guide rollerpositioned relative to the inking roller to cause the apron to contactwith anappreciable portion of the inking roller surface, said guide"roller being mounted in open-ended slots in the drawer and retainedtherein by the pressure of the apron.

'7. A foot impression device comprising a frame,

an apron secured at its opposite ends to the frame and adapted to bepressed by a foot, a drawer adapted to support a part for receivingimpressions and shiftable in the frame to impression-- 8. A footimpression device comprising a frame,

an ink carrying member adapted to be pressed by a foot, a draweradaptedtosupport a part for receiving impressions and shiftable in theframe to impression-taking and exposing positions, respectively, andmeans for limiting the shifting movement of the drawer.

9. A foot impression device comprising a hollow box having an opening inits top surface for receiving a foot and an opening in one side wall,

the top surface opening within the box and adapted to be pressed by afoot, and a drawer adapted to support a part for, receiving footimpressions shiftable in the box through the side wall opening toaposition adjacent the apron for taking an impression and retractible toexpose the impressed part.

10. A foot impression device comprising a frame, an ink-carrying memberadapted to be a flexible, ink-carrying apron extending across pressed bya foot, 1a drawer adapted to support a a part for receiving impressionsandshiftable in the frame to impression-taking and exposing positions,respectively, and inking means adapted to apply ink to the member duringand controlled by the movement of the drawer.

11. A foot impression device comprising a frame, an apron secured at itsopposite ends to the frame and adapted to be pressed by a foot,

a drawer adapted to support a part for receiving impressions andshiftable in the frame to impression-taking and exposing positions,respectively, an inking roller rotatably mounted in the drawer andadapted to apply ink to the apron during the movement of the drawer, andmeans for causing the apron to wrap around an appreciable portion of theinking roller surface. i

WILLIAM F. KOPPE.

